The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-09-24
A PAIR OF NIECES.

UbsdelI.
Mrs. Uubsdell was a tall, stout wo-
man, with level black brows, very
\ < ;:'sss iiiiDs. and loud incisive voice.
Her two young nieces sat by the
. window, shrinking back as if every
word had been blow.
They had been with Mrs. Ubsdell
lfors & month now-just long enough
Tor the grass to become green on their
|iather's grave, and the Grape trim
|nipgs of their frocks to grow a little
rusty and crumpled.
sand now" went on the portly
dame, lit has come time for you to
try something for yourselves. Pm
mot rich, you know. You must go to
work,s
4 "Bps we don't know what to do,
aQnt Matilda" said Kate.
"We are very willing to work, "
murmured Ginerva, "if anyone
WOulQ snow us nOW."
General Livingstone wants gov
erness for his little grand-daughters,
said Mrs. UbsdeIl. "They are six
and seven years old. Music, French
and Latin required. You shall take
the position Ginerva."
The taller of the two girls changed
color.
II don't know much about music,
said she. "Papa taught me Latin ;
but am quite ignorant of French, +"
"Say you know it," said Mrs. Ubs-
dell, sharply. "And do the best you
can. General Livingston is at home
very little. Twenty to one he'll new
er find it out, At all events. I've
told Miss jerks, the housekeeper,
that you will be there tomorrow al
o'clock to take the situation"
"But, Aunt Matilda" said Giner.
va, her voice faitering, wouldn't
that be acting lie ?''
"a lie, indeed !" almost screamed
Mrs. Ubsdell. "How dare you use
that word to me, Ginerya Hall? AT
ter all the pains I've taken to get you
respectable place! AS for you,
Kate; you are to 60 as companion tC
Miss Ramona Ray, She's as deaf as
post, and you've got good clear
voice to read aloud to her. She's bad.
tempered and eXacting, but it's the
business of you yoang people to give
way to your elders--and anyhow you
have your living to earn"
Kate and Ginerva looked aghast al
each other when Mrs. Ubsdell had
hustled out of the room.
"What are we to dc? ?' said Kate.
"What can we do except.to obey?'
sighed Ginerva. at is very evident
that we are unwelcOme here Aunt
Ubsdell .grudges every bit of bread
that we put into our mouths, On,
Kate. Kate, If we only could have
died and been buried with p4pa!"
1--WE must do the best we cam
said Kate, who was tall and dark,
with soft, yelvety eyes, long-fringed
and languid, and a skin as white and
fine-grained as the petal of Bermu.
da liIy. "Perhaps this Miss Ray will
not be so bad as it would seem. ]
shalt try to be very patient and obe-
dient."
"And II am to enter the family
of this aristocratic gentleman under
false pretenses J" cried Ginerva,
"But | will endeayor to earn my sal
airy at least"
Ginerva was as unlike as possible
to her brunette sister-a rosy, dim.
pied childish little thing, who scarce.
ly looked her II years.
Kate looked at her with tender re.
gret.
"The idea of you being a govern
ess." said she.
"Or of your turning lady's com
panion," retorted Ginerva, but
do believe. Kate, we would go a;
gypsy fortune-tellers, or take situa
tions as sculery maids, to get ou
from under aunt Matilda's eye"
"Miss Ramona Ray was rather
deaf-there could be no doubt of that
But Kate Hall had clear, distinc
enunciation, and found little trouble
in making her hear.
And really. her temper was not 81
very bad, after all.
1t was necessary to be very partic
ular in the care of her parrot and tn,
daily bath of her poodle-dog, tn,
watering of her plants, and the prep
aration of the rose-creams and tn,
lily-lotions she used Tor her yenera
DE complexion.
But she conceived a decided likinI
ea5- her new companion. took her ou
in the carriage for daily drive, anC
told her the whole story of the Mexi
can officer who had once been engag